


Snowbound

by Sakura Martinez (SMTsukishiro)



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Multi, Other, Romance, falling inlove
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2823827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SMTsukishiro/pseuds/Sakura%20Martinez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of fanfics featuring Jack Frost and his various interactions with spirits, from fellow Guardians to other Holiday and every day spirits. Originally posted as separate fics in Fanfiction.Net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. At the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> **Chapter Summary** : Toothiana, Queen of the Toothfairies and Guardian of Memories, wants to know why her Mini Fairies have suddenly been acting strangely. She sends Baby Tooth to uncover the mystery behind it.

# At the Beginning

The Mini Fairies had never known what a confined life was like. For as long as they could remember—and their memories are pretty good—they have always been so free. They flew the world over, searching for children's teeth and rewarding the children who have lost it. It was their job, and they loved it.

Being out all night, they were able to see much of the nocturnal wonders of the world. They also get to meet a lot of the spirits that roamed the earth. After all, there are more than a handful of spirits who worked in the late hours of the night.

Their Queen—Toothiana—is not against fraternizing with spirits during their runs. She doesn't mind them taking a detour or two, so long as they manage to stick to the schedule and return to Punjam Hy Loo on time. She actually enjoys the stories the Mini Fairies tell her upon their return.

Unlike her Mini Fairies, the Queen of the Toothfairies had never set foot outside of the palace in a very long time. Hundreds of years, in fact. So she always welcomes the stories born from the misadventures her Mini Fairies would, from time to time, find themselves in.

Apart from stories about places and things that they would see, the Mini Fairies would also tell Toothiana about rumors they would hear. They would tell her about the recent news concerning the other spirits, like who was currently in a feud with who; or which spirit was dating one another. Most of the time, the Mini Fairies' stories would revolve around Nicholas St. North challenging a couple of Nordic, Greek, Scottish spirits into a drinking game or a friendly sword fight to keep his skills in check. Other times it would be the story of Eros Sureshot—Cupid's—latest success. There were times it would be a story concerning the seasonal spirits arguing about the length of the seasons, or some other weather-related topic. Lately, however, Toothiana had noticed some changes with her miniature—yet, deadly—army.

Every time her Mini Fairies return, they seemed to be charged with some sort of energy Toothiana could not comprehend. They were also a lot chattier than they had ever been with each other. Most—if not all of them—upon returning even have a dreamy look on their faces. Never has something like that happened before.

At first, Toothiana was not bothered by her Mini Fairies' behavior. She was, actually, quite amused by it. But, as the days turned into weeks, and into months, Toothiana became baffled. Not only were they returning later than usual, they would also be moving in a sort of dream-like way. As if they were in a trance. Some would even lose the grace-like composure and flight that the Mini Fairies were quite known for. Worse, there were some who would suddenly swoon and fall off the air for no particular reason.

It soon became apparent to the Queen that she needed to get to the bottom of what was making her Mini Fairies act so strangely and eliminate it.

And so, she does what she usually do when faced with a quandary regarding her army. She talks with the youngest of them.

Trying to appear nonchalant, despite the growing curiosity, Toothiana asked the Mini Fairy with mismatched eyes the question that she had been wondering for months.

"Is there something going on with your sisters, Little One?"

The Mini Fairy who had looked so excited and happy to be spoken to by the Queen, suddenly looked as though she would rather be anywhere else than in her presence at that moment. She knew, of course, what was going on with the others. Or, a bit of it, at least. But she didn't wish to be a tattletale and didn't wish for her sisters to get in trouble.

Queen Toothiana watched patiently and silently. She was going to do so until the Mini Fairy before her was ready to open up. And if she didn't, well, there were millions (the last time she counted, at least, who knew how many they were now) Mini Fairies in the palace who would know and who wouldn't hesitate to tell her. Although, the chances of getting them to talk would—without a doubt—be lower. She had chosen to speak with the youngest Mini Fairy for a reason, after all.

The Queen of the Toothfairies shook her head. No, she would need to find a way to get this Mini Fairy to talk. She didn't have much choice on the matter—not without turning into nothing short of a dictator and demanding her Mini Fairies to answer.

She could use the bond she had with them, but she had sworn not to. Even her Mini Fairies needed some privacy, after all. The only time she would allow herself to use the bond was if there was some sort of emergency. And although the events transpiring at the moment was problematic and troublesome, it was not so much as an emergency that would warrant the use of the bond.

' _I'm sorry, Queen Toothiana,_ ' the Mini Fairy finally chirped. ' _But...But I only know a little bit about it._ '

"Well, a little bit of information is better than none," the Queen smiled in response.

The Mini Fairy bit her lip and wrung her fingers. ' _Um..._ '

"It's okay, Little One. Your sisters will not get into trouble of any kind. And neither will you," Toothiana assured the nervous Mini Fairy. "I am merely curious...and worried. If I am overworking them, I would like to know."

' _It's not fatigue, Queen Toothiana,_ ' the Mini Fairy replied. ' _It's just...they seem to be running into something interesting lately._ '

"Something interesting?" the Queen quirked an eyebrow. "What could possibly be so interesting as to get your sisters—my Mini Fairies—to act so...gracelessly?"

' _Well...I don't know everything, your majesty,_ ' the Mini Fairy finally relented. ' _But I do know what has gotten my sisters so excited._ '

"Go on," urged Toothiana, although she would have chosen a different adjective than 'excited'.

' _Teeth,_ ' the Mini Fairy with mismatched set of eyes replied. ' _Well, someone with a perfect set of teeth so white my sisters said it was like a beacon…to be precise._ '

Toothiana narrowed her eyes, "That can't be right. If there was someone alive who had such teeth, I would know about them."

' _Well, that's what my sisters said, Your Majesty. I wouldn't really know for sure. I haven't seen this person they spoke of._ '

Toothiana bit her lip and contemplated on her options. It could be easy to dismiss what was going on, but the thought of someone with perfect teeth eluding her made it difficult to do so. It was no longer a matter of the Mini Fairies behaving differently. It was a matter of knowing who was behind it; the owner of those teeth.

Looking at the young Mini Fairy before her, Toothiana couldn't help but wonder if what she was going to ask of the little one would be dangerous. She was so young, newly born from the many memories of children she had obtained. Normally, she wouldn't even be thinking of letting her out of Punjam Hy Loo. But this was no ordinary circumstance. And she was—though she wouldn't admit it—desperate to have this mystery solved.

The Mini Fairy, for her part, watched as the Queen debated to herself.

"I do not normally do this, Little One," the Queen of the Toothfairies spoke after a while. "But I need your help to get to the bottom of this. Would you lend me your aid?"

Surprised—for it was not every day their queen would go so far as to ask for a favor from any of them—the Mini Fairy didn't hesitate in saying, ' _Of course, your majesty! Anything!_ '

Toothiana smiled at the Mini Fairy and proceeded to tell her what she wanted her to do. Neither of them knew, at that time, how such a request would end in something quite...unexpected.

* * *

 

The young Mini Fairy's excitement was palpable. She never thought—not so soon, at least—that she would be allowed to go out of Punjam Hy Loo. She couldn't wait to see what the whole world has in-store for her.

And she did just that. But she didn't forget her purpose. The Queen had given her a mission. One she had to accomplish, along with doing the job that every Mini Fairy were tasked to do.

House after house, child after child, tooth after tooth, the youngest of the Mini Fairies hoped to see the one her sisters had spoken of. But as the hours dwindled, nearing dawn, there appeared no sign of this mysterious person. It worried the young Mini Fairy. She didn't want to disappoint the Queen.

Still holding up hope of meeting the person in question, the Mini Fairy continued on her way. She was in the middle of replacing a tooth with a coin when a sudden 'whoop' outside of the child's house startled her. Curious as to who could be making such a racket at such an hour, the Mini Fairy quickly placed the coin and rushed out of the window.

She didn't really know what she was expecting. She had zero experience in the world outside of the palace. She was certain, however, that even if she did have a bit of experience, she would have been still been quite surprised by what she saw.

There was a boy, laughing and making awfully loud noises. It was a surprise the whole neighborhood had not awakened from their slumber. It was only after careful inspection that the Mini Fairy realized he was not an ordinary boy, but a spirit.

Flying closer, but at the same time keeping her distance, the young Mini Fairy watched as the barefooted boy waved the staff in his hands around. The places the wooden staff touched suddenly turned to ice. This seemed to please the boy, and he kept at it until practically the entire town was encased in a wintry grasp.

The Mini Fairy felt herself getting cold, shivering as she kept close watch at the curious spirit. She had never heard of a spirit who could control snow and ice before. Her sisters have never spoken of such a being, and so she knew that he must be new.

Fueled by curiosity to know the spirits name—for the Mini Fairy wanted to be able to share some information to her Queen, even if said information was not related to the mission she had given her—the youngest Mini Fairy flew closer. It didn't cross her mind that this spirit might be dangerous. For some inexplicable reason, she felt confident that he was friendly.

She thought the young spirit hadn't noticed her presence, and was about to move in closer, when he suddenly turned around and faced her. A small frown was etched on his forehead. But it only stayed there momentarily, as the boy slowly smiled a small smile.

"Hello there," the boy had greeted her. He then whistled, and the Mini Fairy could feel the wind around them carry the boy upwards, until he was close enough to see her properly.

 _He can control the wind, too._ the Mini Fairy made note of that fact. _Which means he's just like the Queen, capable of communicating with the Wind._

"Hmm..." the boy mused. And much to the surprise of the young Mini Fairy, moved his face close to her person. "You aren't one of the others I've met before. Your eyes are different."

That observation, of course, didn't surprise the Mini Fairy. That was always the first thing other spirits noticed about her. Followed by...

"And you've also got a mole," the boy added. "Huh...up until now I thought all of you looked the same."

' _We do,_ ' the Mini Fairy had chirped. ' _I'm just the exception. Queen Toothiana doesn't have an explanation for it, though._ '

"I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just surprised," the boy said. "Still, you seem to be a little bit smaller than the others too."

' _It's because I'm the youngest!_ ' she felt proud at saying that, though it was the first time she felt that way about it.

"You're a chirpy little fairy, aren't you?" the boy laughed. "Well, I better not keep you from your job."

And before the Mini Fairy could ask the spirit what his name was, the boy had already jumped back. Adding to the fact that the wind was quickly carrying him away, he suddenly flashed her a disarming smile that shocked her and kept her from following him.

The Mini Fairy's jaw dropped. When she had managed to get herself back together, she felt like celebrating. She had found the person her sisters were talking about.

* * *

 

"A spirit, you say?" Toothiana was surprised by this new information.

The Mini Fairy nodded. ' _I don't know his name, Queen Toothiana. He didn't tell me. But he can control ice and snow, and the Wind seems to be great friends with him._ '

The mention of her old friend, the Wind got Toothiana's attention. Not a lot of spirits can get along very well with the Wind. The multi-faceted spirit, after all, was quite…temperamental.

' _The others were right, though._ ' the Mini Fairy went on. She was starting to get excited once more. ' _He does have incredibly white and incredibly perfect teeth. It's so ridiculous how well-taken care of his teeth are._ '

The Queen nodded thoughtfully. After a while, she made up her mind and said, "Show me."

The statement—those two words—surprised the young Mini Fairy. It was rare—really, really rare—for the Queen to ask any one of them for something like that.

' _Huh?_ ' was all the Mini Fairy could process at the moment.

"I would like to see for myself," Toothiana didn't need to clarify but felt the need to. She then held her hand out, waiting for the Mini Fairy.

The Mini Fairy nodded and flew into the Queen of the Toothfairies' hand, sitting on her palm. She then closed her eyes, her wings outstretched. And then, she began to glow a faint yet brilliant golden glow.

With the glow came the vision of the night the young Mini Fairy had, from the moment she left the safety of Punjam Hy Loo's walls up to her return.

Of course, the moment that had piqued Toothiana's interest was the meeting the little one had with this mysterious new spirit who had perfect teeth.

He...was not at all what Toothiana imagined. He had snowy-white, windswept hair and pale skin. His eyes, she noticed, were bright blue and danced with some promise of mischief...which she could tell with much certainty was what he intended to do. His clothes were very much like every other clothes, made from animal skin, worn during that particular time. He had on a white shirt and brown vest underneath his poncho that was speckled with ice and frozen over. A pair of animal skin pants, likewise dotted with frost, completed his ensemble.

Toothiana watched the exchange between the unknown spirit and her Mini Fairy, noting how the spirit spoke as though he could understand the Mini Fairy, when he actually couldn't.

And then, she came to the point where he had smiled, showing off his canines.

The way her youngest spoke of his teeth did no real justice to when she actually saw it for herself. They were as white as freshly fallen snow. From what she could see, they all looked pristine, as if great care had been placed at keeping them from rotting, having dental plaque, or tooth decay. To say that it impressed her—to say that _he_ impressed her—would be an understatement.

Her free hand twitched. She wanted to have a good look at his teeth. She wanted to ask him how he was able to take good care of them.

At that moment, as the vision of the young Mini Fairy's first day on the field came to an end, the Queen of the Toothfairies came to a decision. She was going to find out who this new spirit was.

And thus began the Queen of the Toothfairies' fascination with Jack Frost and obsession with his teeth (though the Queen will adamantly refuse to call it as such).


	2. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of 'At the Beginning'.  
> Curious as to who the new spirit was, the Queen of the Toothfairies tries to uncover the mystery behind his identity. When her archive proved unhelpful, she once again sends the youngest of her Mini Fairies to help her.

# Names

The Queen of the Toothfairies' face was contorted into a frown—a frown, might she add, that had been painted on her flawless face for a while now.

What had started with uncovering the truth of her Mini Fairies' strange behavior, had turned into a piqued interest on this new spirit that was the cause of their behavior.

The desire to know more about this spirit had eventually led Toothiana to Punjam Hy Loo's Library of Memories. It was the only place where one could find information about any person ever born—so long as they had their teeth collected by the Toothfairies. And she was certain they had collected his teeth when he was still alive.

Yet, despite that certainty, the Queen had yet to find his particular Memory Box. And now, she was trying to desperately search for it. The thought of misplacing one of her precious Memory Boxes was enough to put the Guardian of Memories into a panicked frenzy.

Of course, only those who really knew Toothiana would be able to see that she was, indeed, panicking. Her multi-colored wings that had all shades of yellows, greens, and blues were beating so fast it appeared as nothing more than a blur. She moved speedily, darting from one shelf filled with Memory Boxes after another.

It was such a strange conundrum, not being able to find the box that belonged to the spirit. Usually, it only required her a minute—sometimes, even less—to find the box containing the teeth of a particular person, spirit or not. Now, however, it had been hours and still she had nothing.

' _Maybe he never lost a tooth?_ ' The youngest Mini Fairy theorized. Ever since she was asked by the Queen to unravel the mystery regarding her sisters' strange behavior, the Queen had taken quite a liking to her. Always, she would ask the youngest to accompany her.

"No," Toothiana shook her head. "I have a feeling I have seen his Memory Box before...I just can't remember where."

That surprised the Mini Fairy. Their Queen rarely—if never—forgets anything.

When she noticed the gaping look the Mini Fairy was giving her, Toothiana scoffed, "Oh, come on now. Even I can forget things...sometimes. Besides, the library has grown so vast. We don't even known when this new spirit had been born as a human."

' _I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't mean..._ '

Toothiana waved her off, smiling. "No, no...it's alright, Little One. Even I find it hard to believe that I would lose track of teeth."

They continued on with their search for the Memory Box. Every once in a while, Toothiana would have the young Mini Fairy return to the other Mini Fairies to issue new orders and tooth locations. She could sense the young one's hesitation, but Toothiana assured her there was no need to feel that way.

During one such time that she was left alone, Toothiana began to think carefully, searching for clues from what she knew—however little—about the new spirit.

_Since he is new, that means the Man in the Moon had just recently turned him into a spirit,_ Toothiana mused. _But, how recent? A day? A month? A year?_

She then walked to the shelves from the current year and began working backwards, carefully scrutinizing the faces of the children on the boxes.

Toothiana also began to factor in the spirit's appearance. Although it was unreliable, she decided to take that into account until she could prove that it wasn't. So, she went deeper into the library.

It was no secret that not everyone retain what they looked like as humans when transformed into a spirit. Some grew older (though not necessarily wiser); some taller, or fatter. Others had their eyes, hair, and their complexion change color. The extreme ones had involved turning into animals or some mythical beast. How they transform, or who they end up as, no one could say. It was simply one of the things only the Man in the Moon would know.

As the afternoon light waned and twilight approached, however, the Queen of the Toothfairies learned nothing new. She wasn't about to give up, though. The night, after all, was only just beginning.

* * *

 

The young Mini Fairy couldn't believe her luck. She didn't expect the Queen to allow her outside so soon. She had thought Queen Toothiana would still need her at the Library of Memories, or to pass along orders to her sisters.

Like the night of her first flight outside of Punjam Hy Loo, Toothiana had once again asked her to search for the spirit and—if possible—obtain his name. The Queen had also informed her of the spirit's inability to really comprehend the language of the Mini Fairies. She would have to find a way for him to understand her enough to tell her his name.

The Mini Fairy first made her way to the last place she saw the spirit, thinking that he would be there again. He wasn't. The Mini Fairy was disappointed, at first, but soon shook that disappointment away. The night was still young.

She was having a fantastic time, however, even with the newbie spirit's lack of appearance. Seeing the children, and watching the golden sands dancing around their heads transform into dreams, entertained her. Not only that, but the sights, the sounds, even the smell differed from one place to another. It made every city, every town, every province, country, and continent so exciting to visit and see. Each was a new experience.

Her duty as one of the Mini Fairies might be hard—especially for one inexperienced and young as herself—but it was fun as well. And knowing that the children she had visited and exchanged tooth for coin would be happy and ecstatic when they woke up (for that was the expression her sisters had said they always have upon getting a visit from them), made it all the more worthwhile.

She was just on her way back to Punjam Hy Loo, having ran out of coins to exchange for tooth, when she heard a familiar 'whoop' and laughter. Quickly, the Mini Fairy made a beeline to the direction of the noise. Sure enough, the white-haired, blue-eyed, barefooted spirit was there using his powers to cover everything in sight in white.

Noting her presence, though the Mini Fairy did not make any sound during her approach, the spirit turned to face her.

He blinked and it took a second for him to recognize her, saying, "Oh, it's you. The little baby tooth."

As soon as he said those words, his eyes went wide and he grinned. An idea had formed in his head.

"Hey, I know," he said, snapping his fingers and laughing as he flew towards her. "That's what I'm going to call you from now on. Baby Tooth." Then, as if realizing something for the first time, added, "That's okay, right? You guys don't have names of your own or anything, do you?'

The Mini Fairy shook her head in reply, smiling as she chirped (despite knowing that the spirit couldn't understand her), ' _That's fine. I don't have a name of my own. And neither do my sisters._ '

"Wait," laughed the boy again. He really had a fun kind of laughter. "Is that an 'okay' to me giving you a name, or a 'no'?"

The Mini Fairy—Baby Tooth—thought for a moment on how to answer in a way that the boy would understand. She then raised one finger and nodded with a smile, hoping that the spirit would understand that her answer was the former of the two choices.

"You're okay with it?" the boy guessed. When Baby Tooth nodded, he grinned. "Great! Well, it's nice to see you again, Baby Tooth. Catch you later."

The young spirit was about to fly away to who-knows-where again. Baby Tooth didn't know when they would see each other again, and she didn't want to leave without knowing the spirit's name now that she had seen him. And so, the youngest Mini Fairy in Queen Toothiana's army did the only thing she could do, she flew towards the spirit and pulled his poncho at the collar as hard as she could. He couldn't leave just yet.

"Woah! What's the matter, Baby Tooth?" The boy looked curiously at the little Toothfairy that was trying her best to pull him back.

' _You still haven't told me your name yet!_ ' she chirped, still not letting go despite her hands already freezing.

"Uh, I still can't understand what you're saying..." the boy pointed out. "And I don't think I can guess either."

Frustrated, Baby Tooth decided to mime her question to the boy. Cocking her head to the side, she pointed at him at the same time she said, ' _Your name._ '

The boy crossed his arms and looked intently at her. He also cocked his head to the side. "Me? What about me?"

Baby Tooth kept pointing at him, chirping, ' _Name. What's your name? You didn't tell me your name. The Queen wants to know!_ '

"You...want to...know about me?" the boy ventured a guess. The first thing that came to his mind.

Baby Tooth nodded enthusiastically. ' _Yes!_ '

"Well...this night is certainly one full of 'firsts'," she heard him mutter before he shook his head. "Well, since you're the first one to ever speak to me...I suppose it's alright to tell you my name at least."

Baby Tooth flew close to the boy's face. She couldn't contain her excitement.

The boy laughed, his eyes sparkling with mirth at the sight of the little fairy. He had never met anyone—in the couple of years he had been around as a spirit—who was as excited as her to know about him. Granted, even he would be excited to know stuff about himself...if only the Man in the Moon would tell him.

Thinking about the Man in the Moon—the one who turned him into who he was—caused a frown to appear in his face. He forced his annoyance back, however, when Baby Tooth gave him a questioning look.

"Sorry," he apologized. But as soon as he did, he wondered why he would be. He had never apologized to anyone before. "I was just thinking about something...anyways, my name's Jack Frost."

* * *

 

"Jack Frost?" Queen Toothiana repeated the name the Mini Fairy—who had taken a liking to the name given to her—had told her, wanting to make sure she heard her right. "That's his name?"

The Mini Fairy—Baby Tooth—nodded. ' _He told me himself, Your Majesty. He said I was the first to ask._ '

"What else did he say?" came the follow-up question. "About himself, I mean."

' _Nothing else,_ ' Baby Tooth replied, shaking her head sadly. ' _His name was all he told me. Then, after that, he flew away. I would have followed him, but he looked like he didn't want to be followed._ '

The Queen nodded as she processed that information. With the spirit's name, she was quickly able to find his Memory Box. As she took the box out of the shelf it was archived in, she couldn't help but take notice of the difference between the boy in the picture of the box and the spirit from the vision Baby Tooth had shared with her.

Where the boy in the Memory Box had brown hair and eyes, the spirit had snowy white hair and bright blue eyes. What they had in common was the way their eyes twinkled with mischief and how their lips were curved into a knowing smile.

"Jackson Overland Frost," Queen Toothiana uttered the name of the owner of the box. With the box in her hand, she could tell that it didn't have a complete set of teeth. Only a couple. The Queen bit her lip and frowned. "He didn't live long enough to lose all of his baby teeth."

' _Aren't you going to take a look, Queen Toothiana?_ ' Baby Tooth asked.

"I will," the queen replied. Pausing for a moment. Toothiana looked carefully at the golden box in her hand. "But not tonight."

Baby Tooth looked at her curiously. ' _Why? Didn't you want to know more about him?_ '

"I do," Toothiana admitted. "I am very much curious about his life when he was still a human, and the reason why the Man in the Moon chose him. But I do not think this is the right moment to open his Memory Box."

' _Can I ask what you mean, your majesty?_ '

"I can't really explain myself," was the Queen's reply.

And as soon as she said those words, a moonbeam shined on the Memory Box. The Queen smiled a small smile, understanding the message the Man in the Moon had sent her.

"And it appears even the Man in the Moon would not like me to know the answer to my questions as well." She added, nodding just before the moonbeam disappeared. "Jack Frost's story will be a mystery for now."

Baby Tooth was disappointed by this, but didn't go against her queen's wishes. The Man in the Moon must have a reason why even he had stopped them from uncovering Jack Frost's past.

"It's a shame, really. I am very much quite intrigued by him, after all." Toothiana went on. "But, it does give us something to look forward to. Don't you think, Baby Tooth?"

The question, as well as the fact that Toothiana used the name Jack had given her, surprised Baby Tooth. It took a moment for her to respond, and by then, the queen was already giggling at her reaction.

"I find nothing wrong in calling you by that name," Toothiana said. "I think it suits you. You are the youngest of my Mini Fairies, after all."

' _I like the name, too._ ' Baby Tooth admitted, bashfully.

"That's one more thing we can thank Jack Frost for," the Queen of the Toothfairies mused. "But I will still need to get him to stop making your sisters act so strangely whenever they see him."

' _Am I allowed to see him again, your majesty?_ ' Baby Tooth asked. ' _I mean, can I still go outside from time to time by myself, whenever you don't need me here?_ '

"Of course," Toothiana couldn't believe Baby Tooth even need to ask. "You are free to do so, Baby Tooth. Besides, I need someone to keep an eye on our new friend. If I can't learn about his past just yet, then perhaps who he is as a spirit would be enough. Just be careful whenever you're outside the palace's walls."


	3. Cupid's Arrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eros Sureshot--more commonly known as 'Cupid, the Spirit of Love and Desire'--never had a problem getting someone to fall in love. That was until he met Jack Frost.

# Cupid's Arrow

Eros Sureshot has--as his name suggest--never missed a target his entire life. If he wanted two people to end up together, his arrows would do the trick. And it always worked, regardless if it were humans he was aiming at or the other spirits that inhabit the planet. He was Cupid. And Cupid always gets the work done.

Always, getting two people to fall in love was a piece of cake for him. It was as easy as pie. Of course, he does love a bit of drama and adds hardships for them along the way. Just a bit of flavor. Nothing harmless. Although, there were instances when he went over the top or free will kicked in. But those were not entirely _his_ fault.

Ah, that was the good life. The easy life. The fun life.

And then…and then he met Jack Frost.

He didn't really find any fault with Jack Frost. Well, not to the point that he hated the Winter Spirit, at least. After all, whenever he was in town turning a cold day into a snow day, it made things easier for the Spirit of Love and Desire. He didn't have to do much to make people cuddle. And snow also has a way of setting up a romantic mood. In truth, Eros had always thought Jack might be a romantic himself. That was the whole deal why he thought it would be a good idea to give Jack some sort of reward—a thank you of sorts. And since Eros only knows of one kind of reward, well…he figured the Winter Spirit would appreciate it. After all, he had been alone for so long.

Eros had been excited. He had his bow and arrow aimed at Jack Frost as the Winter Spirit was playing with the Sandman's Dreamsands. He was unaware. It was the perfect and opportune moment. Not to mention that a female spirit was close by.

Eros smiled. He felt triumphant even before he let his arrow lose. It hit, as it always does.

He waited for that spark; for Jack Frost eyes to sparkle. He waited and waited. But all he saw was Jack laughing—like he always does—while he raced after the Dreamsands that were making its way to the houses and the children that lived within them.

Eros was at a lost at what just happened. Did he forget to put a spell on the arrow? Why was there no connection? Why did his arrow fail to work on Jack Frost? In the end, the Spirit of Love and Desire concluded that the spell was just not strong enough.

' _He had been alone for so long, his heart must have forgotten._ ' was his explanation. ' _Next time, it will work!_ '

And a second opportunity did present itself. Followed by a third, fourth, fifth, sixth…and so on. In all of those events when Eros had aimed at Jack Frost and let his arrow fly, the effects that they were supposed to have were non-existent. Always, Jack would continue on with whatever he was doing as if he hadn't just been shot with Cupid's arrow. It was frustrating. Maddening. It was…

"What in the love's name is wrong with that guy?" Eros had barked on the twentieth time of his failed attempt to get Jack Frost to fall in love. "I had upped my game, again and again…yet he remains as he is! This is getting ridiculous!"

"Ready to give up, Eros?" Psyche, a spirit whom Eros was very close with suddenly appeared next to him, surprising the Spirit of Love and Desire.

"Giving up is not in my vocabulary," Eros replied, then added a question of his own. "What are you doing, Psyche? Shouldn't you be running around spreading contentment and bliss?"

"And shouldn't you be spreading love around and not just focusing on one stubborn spirit?" Psyche retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you even so insistent on forcing Jack Frost to fall in love?"

"I am not 'forcing' him," The Spirit of Love and Desire rolled his eyes. "You know I can't do something like that."

"Alright then, why are you so obsessed with Frost?"

"I am not obsessed either."

"Really? Tell me, sweetie, when was the last time you hounded on someone, wasting twenty well-crafted arrows on them?"

Psyche had him there. Jack was the first. He was the only one that required him to go through such lengths. Frost was also the only one that got him thinking on strategy and ways to be even more cunning. And even then it wasn't enough. He was still missing something.

"Don't you think it's time to just let Jack Frost be, Eros?" Psyche tried one last time. "Maybe this isn't the right time for your arrows to work? Maybe that's the reason why they don't?"

The Spirit of Contentment and Bliss sighed when she realized Eros was no longer listening to her. For someone who spreads love around, he lacked an important aspect to making a relationship work and love to last: communication skills. He wasn't good at listening to others.

"Fine," Psyche huffed, seeing as she was not going to get anywhere with Eros. "Do whatever you want, Eros. Just don't go using all your firepower at once on him."

Psyche's words sparked an idea on Eros' head. It was a brilliant idea—at least, he thought it was.

' _Jack Frost wouldn't know what hit him,_ ' he thought to himself with glee as he hurried on back to his home. ' _There is no way this wouldn't work!_ '

Eros didn't show himself for a couple of months as he spent his time tinkering with his new toys. He had to be extremely careful with them and had to test them several times to make sure they do work. Despite all the trouble and annoyance Jack Frost had brought him, he didn't want to accidentally end up hurting the spirit. Well, too much. He did want to strangle him for all the trouble he had unknowingly caused.

The Spirit of Love and Desire did not waste any time searching for the Winter Spirit. He had his bow slung on his back, along with a quiver of his best arrows. But in his hand was his latest weaponry.

The other spirits who caught sight of Eros did a double take when they saw what he was holding. Some of them even ended up wide-eyed and slack-jawed. After all, it wasn't every day they saw him carrying such a thing.

It took days for Eros to finally track the 500-year-old spirit. When he finally found Jack in Russia, spreading snow, mischief, and fun around, the Spirit of Love and Desire couldn't help but grin.

"Watch out, Jack Frost," Eros muttered to himself as he prepped himself up for the task at hand. "Cupid's got himself a shotgun."

He cocked the firearm in his hand and ran the plan in his head. He would have to be close enough to make sure Jack get the full impact. He would also have to be quick in his escape. As the Spirit of Love and Desire, he wasn't supposed to be seen when doing his work. It was against the rules. Then again, everything he has been doing since he decided on hitting Jack with his arrows had been against the rules.

Eros took a deep breath before he rushed over to Jack Frost and in a flurry of quick movements pressed the shotgun on his chest and fired.

He didn't bother to look back as he quickly scrambled away. As he was running as far away as he could, Eros took note of the fact that his shotgun had failed to do its work. The bullets he had doused with his spell had been as useful as his arrows against Jack Frost.

As he jettisoned upwards, afraid of being frozen to death by the young man who could control snow and frost, all Eros heard was Jack muttering a curse under his breath about crazy spirits and reasons why he didn't like to be around them.

The hours that followed had Eros trying one thing after another. From a shotgun to dual pistols. From dual pistols to a Magnum Handgun. From a Magnum to a Gloc, Assault Riffle, and finally a Sniper Riffle. All the bullets had been doused to the tip with his spell, which had increased potency. Yet, none of them worked. It was strange. Bizarre. Completely and utterly ridiculous.

"What kind of heart does that Winter Spirit have?" Eros sputtered as he slumped in his workbench. He had exhausted every method he had known, completely ran dry of ammunition for his guns, and the ingredients for his spells was also almost out. Hundreds of thousands of years of doing an outstanding job as the Spirit of Love and Desire seemed to have come crashing down just because of one spirit. And a newbie at that. "He isn't even a thousand years old!"

He was really considering giving up on the Winter Spirit. Psyche's words echoed in his mind. He didn't want to admit that she was right and he had been focusing way too much on Jack.

He certainly didn't want to know what had become of the world while he was so focused on him. Although the Man in the Moon wasn't controlling how the spirits of Earth acted, Eros could imagine the disapproval at having lost sight of his task.

But he knew that he had to move on. The world needed love and desire, and he was the only spirit who can give them that. Another sigh escaped his lips as he refilled the arrows in his quiver before flying off to spread love to the world.

Of course, one could imagine the Spirit of Love and Desire's surprise when he found the world covered in the darkness of the Nightmare King. He wondered just how he could have been so focused that he would miss something huge like Pitch Black and his Nightmares taking over.

As he flew around the world, he found no signs of the other spirits. They were all in hiding. Even Psyche--who was never one to take a sick day…or a vacation--was nowhere to be found. Briefly, Eros wondered if he was partly to blame for the rise of the Nightmare King. If he had been working properly, as he should have, then the world would have been filled with love, making it hard for Pitch to take over.

' _Don't be silly,_ ' he shook the thought.

As he circled the globe, he saw the extent of Pitch's hold. Everything was just so dark. Gloomy. It wasn't just the children the Nightmare King had begun to affect. It was also the adults.

He was just about to follow the example of the other spirits—wait for the battle between the Man in the Moon's Guardians and the Nightmare King's army to pass—when he came across the small town of Burgess.

There was nothing really worth noting in that small, boring town. At least, that was Eros' first assessment before he saw the familiar silver of Jack Frost's hair inside one of the houses.

The Spirit of Love and Desire frowned.

' _What's he doing there?_ ' he wondered.

And then he noticed something else. Jack Frost—the loner, the one who did not like to have anyone around—was with someone.

And it wasn't just anyone. It was the Queen of the Toothfairies, herself, Queen Toothiana.

The corners of Eros' lips tugged into a smile. Momentarily, he forgot about Pitch and the crisis Earth was facing. "Well, well…this looks interesting."

Eros perched himself on a tree branch close enough to snoop but far enough that he would not get caught. He had never seen Jack Frost interact with any other spirit without a prank involved, or without the grumpiness that only seemed to dissipate when he was around children.

It intrigued him that the Queen of the Toothfairies would be able to get Frost to thaw a little bit; to show something other than genuine annoyance and the genuine need to push others away. Seeing the Winter Spirit's face and hearing his tone of voice suggested that he wasn't just humoring the Queen, either. There was something there. There was a _spark_.

The small smile that had crept up Eros' face turned into a huge grin. He wasn't going to force Jack to fall in love. He had accepted that Jack was just too stubborn to be forced into anything. He was just going to give him a bit of a nudge. A little gentle push. He was going to try one last time.

Instead of taking the arrow with the most potent and most powerful spell, Eros took the one with the least. He nocked the arrow to his bow, aimed, and fired.

It has been a long time since then. Jack Frost was no longer just some Winter Spirit. He was now one of the Guardians of Childhood. He had also shed his lone wolf attitude.

But the thing about Jack Frost that made Eros burst out smiling every time their paths crossed was just how much love the Guardian of Mischief and Fun had. Because Jack Frost really had a big heart so full of love and kindness that was simply hidden. And that it wasn't just reserved for the children of the world that he always held dear to him.

It simply took a Queen to let everyone see that.

A Queen and a little bit of a nudge from Cupid.


	4. Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mini Fairies had learned something about Jack Frost and the Queen of the Toothfairies want to know what it is.

# Music

There were so many things Toothiana knew about Jack Frost that nobody else did. For one, she knew about his past leading up to the tragic—yet heroic death—of the boy known as Jackson Overland Frost. It was sort of a privilege considering who and what she was. She also knew that he had never gotten over having forgotten about his sister. He would sometimes brood over the fact that he wasn't able to watch over her like he promised her he would.

And then, there was the little bit of information she had uncovered from her bond with Baby Tooth and the other Mini Fairies. Jack enjoyed music.

The Queen of the Toothfairies was surprised by this one little fact that seemed so benign. It was something she did not expect to find the Winter Spirit's interest in. He was movement, action, energy, and unbridled laughter. Curious still was how, despite the bond, she could not figure out what type of music it was that Jack listened to and liked. It was as if the Mini Fairies themselves were hiding this fact from her—which, if that was the case, would be a first.

Instead of asking something they had no intention of answering, Toothiana asked them how they learned of it. They didn't give her much in terms of the specifics. They did tell her how Jack would always find time during the night to slip away from his duties to enjoy music. "For just a couple of minutes", they quickly added when they saw the look of disdain etched on their Queen's face. To placate the Guardian of Memories, they also told her where Jack would usually take his breaks.

For days, that was enough for Tooth's curiosity. But soon, Toothiana found herself wondering what, exactly, was Jack doing. Was he simply listening to whatever music he could hear from his 'secret' spot? What music did he like? Did he sing along to it? Can he sing? Was he any good?

It was those sort of questions that got Toothiana to fly a bit faster and to fret about more than she usually does. Finally, it came to the point where she just had to learn the answers to those questions.

Usually, the Queen had her Mini Fairies look into these things for her. But with them keeping mum about the whole thing, Toothiana had to do it on her own.

She waited until the night when the moon was at its fullest. She waited for when the sky was clear and filled with all the constellations the universe had to offer. She had to force herself to be patient, even when she was itching for action. Jack, she was told, never went out to "enjoy music" unless it was under those circumstances.

Before leaving her palace in Punjam Hy Loo, Toothiana made sure the Mini Fairies knew their tasks and responsibilities. She placed the older Mini Fairies in-charge of delegating the work, and warned them of the consequences of a poor or sloppy job.

With that out of the way, the Queen of the Toothfairies flew to the open sky in search of that rumored spot Jack frequents.

Despite being one of the spirits who had been around longer (though Tooth didn't like the idea that she was "old", despite not actually aging past her teens), it took a while for her to find the spot the Mini Fairies had spoken of. It wasn't as easy to locate as the pond in Burgess (which Jack likes to freeze whenever there was no danger of being found out). If Toothiana had not known what she was looking for, she wouldn't have found the Winter Spirit comfortably nestled on one of the many pine trees that surrounded an uphill mountain road.

With his back to her, Toothiana could watch him freely. Whatever Jack was doing had him so preoccupied that he didn't even notice her presence. That was a first. Jack always had this uncanny ability to sense her—or anyone—looking at him. This made the Toothfairy even more curious.

And where was the music the Mini Fairies had said? She could hear nothing but the sound of nocturnal animals, the leaves dancing along with the wind. And then there was a strange scraping sound that was coming from the Guardian of Fun himself.

' _What is he doing?_ ' Toothiana wondered as she levitated a little bit higher.

She was so focused on getting a look past Jack's shoulders and what he was busying himself with, that she failed to notice a branch overhead until her head had hit it.

The noise caused by Tooth's head hitting the tree, and the cry of pain that she failed to keep herself from making, alerted Jack to her presence.

"Tooth?"

"O-Oh, Jack," Tooth feigned surprise at seeing her fellow Guardian. "What are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Jack answered as he pocketed something inside his hoody.

"Just, you know, doing my rounds," Toothiana lied, giggling as she hoped Jack would buy it.

He didn't.

"Out here? In the middle of nowhere?" Jack smirked when Tooth began to look flustered. "Did Baby Tooth tell you?"

If it had been anyone else, Tooth would have kept on lying. But it was Jack Frost. And she had learned early on that when it comes to him, she was a pretty bad liar. He could easily tell if she was telling the truth or not.

"My Mini Fairies hinted on...something," Toothiana admitted. "They said you were 'enjoying music'. I didn't know you like music."

"Ah, well..." Jack looked away with a small smile on his face. "I just thought I'd give it a try. My sister...I remember she had a beautiful voice. She could out-sing even the older and more experienced bards and performers that visit our village."

' _Wait, is this what Baby Tooth and the other Mini Fairies meant? Jack sings?_ '

"I can't sing to save my life, though." Jack laughed. "Well, maybe I could to cause a distraction or render someone deaf."

The moment Jack said those words, Toothiana knew that hearing him sing was out of the question.

"I can play this, though." Jack finished as he fished the item he had pocketed minutes before and showed it to the Queen of the Toothfairies.

It was a pan pipe that looked as though it has seen better days.

"I got it from Bunnymund," Jack explained as Tooth gently took the instrument from his hand and inspected it. "He gave it to me to try to get me to leave him alone. I don't think he actually thought it was going to work. It was the Wind who taught me how to play it."

"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Tooth found it hard to believe that Jack would actually enjoy an activity that didn't involve pranks and mischief, or snow.

"No," Jack looked incredulously at her, as if that was the most ridiculous thing the Guardian of Memory had ever said. "Why would I? You know I never pull a prank on you."

That was true. Jack had pranked and annoyed every single other Guardian except for her. She didn't know if it was because Jack hadn't come up with the perfect prank yet, or if he found her much more intimidating than North, Bunnymund, or Sandy. She hoped not, because she wasn't...unless she was in an extremely bad mood.

Jack took Toothiana's silence as her disbelief in his words. Which left him with no other choice. He didn't want her to think he was lying to her.

"Alright," Jack sighed. "I was hoping to save this for when I'm already really good with it. But since it appears like you need proof..."

Before Tooth could correct him and tell him that wasn't what she was thinking, Jack had already pressed the pan pipe to his mouth and had begun playing.

Toothiana had lived a long life, she had witnessed the rise and fall of empires, and had seen the world change and transform. She had lived so long that she, herself, had changed as well. But in all the years she had been the Queen of the Toothfairies and the Guardian of Memories, she had never heard a more beautiful music as the one being played for her.

It was a beautiful melody. It was flowing and soft, and told of stories and things that only music can. And although Jack had only started to learn to play the pan pipe, his heartfelt performance outweighed the sharp notes that sometimes sneaked in his performance.

And the way he looked while performing? Tooth had never seen a more beautiful sight. She blushed furiously just thinking that. Thankfully, Jack had his eyes closed as he performed.

Music has a way of showing and speak a person's heart. And as Jack played the song he, himself, had written, he hoped Toothiana would be able to see and hear what his heart wants to tell her.

_I am always going to be here._

_I will always have your back._

_Thank you for believing in me._

_I will make you proud._

He let his song tell that and more. Someday, though, Jack knew that he would have to actually have the courage to say, with his own words, what he had always wanted to tell her.


	5. A Push and A Shove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sandman notices something wrong with Jack and takes it upon himself to give the young Guardian a proper shove to the right direction. Sequel to "Music" but can stand well on its own.

# A Push and A Shove

Sanderson ManSnoozie always finds something fun in doing his job of spreading dreams to children. It doesn't matter if it is in the form of the children's entertaining dreams, or whatever else the night might offer.

Being the spirit responsible for dreams, he had little time for a breather. Night didn't end with the rising of the sun for him. For when one part of the world experiences day, another part bathes in moonlight. And always, the Sandman goes where the night is.

Still, the Sandman never felt lonely. The night was open to all sorts of wonders, all sorts of spirits. There were even times when he crosses paths with the other Guardians. Sometimes, it would be Toothiana who had once again begun going out of her palace to collect teeth with her Mini Fairies. Once a year, it would be Bunnymund, followed by North. His most frequent companion, however, was Jack Frost.

Sandy had always felt close to Jack, even before he became a Guardian. The Winter Spirit was always so fun-loving. So much so that he often bordered on mischievous, creating chaos and mayhem without intending to. The Sandman knew, being one of the oldest Guardians, that he should be stopping Jack. But he couldn't get himself to do so. Secretly, the Guardian of Dreams enjoyed and was always thoroughly entertained by Jack's antics.

Apart from being his fun-loving self, Jack Frost appreciates the intricacies of dream-making...which, of course, delights Sanderson ManSnoozie even more. That was one of the reasons he allowed Jack to play with his dreamsands.

However, lately, whenever the Winter Spirit boarded his dreamship with him, there would be a quiet—almost pensive—air surrounding him. It was disconcerting, at first. The only time Jack Frost was quiet was when he was sneaking up to someone. It had been like that ever since the Guardian of Fun and Mischief had taken a liking to the pan pipe Bunnymund had given him. He wasn't sighing as frequently before, though. Those sighs had only started days after the latest full moon.

Although the Sandman really wanted to know what was wrong with his friend, he couldn't get a proper answer from the Winter Spirit. Jack was never one to share his feelings. He didn't like opening up. He wasn't a fan of those kinds of things and nobody could get away with getting him to talk when he didn't want to. Well, nobody except for the Queen of the Toothfairies, that is.

The Guardian of Dreams was not oblivious to the fact that Jack allows Toothiana to get away with anything. The close proximity she has with the Winter Spirit? The constant poking and prodding she does with his teeth? No one could get away with those, except for her. Should any other spirit try, Sandy was certain Jack would wave them away and even freeze them on the spot.

"You're looking at me funny," The Sandman was surprised to hear Jack say.

Sandy smiled sheepishly at the young Guardian, who was grinning back at him.

"So, are you going to let me in on the joke?" the Guardian of Fun and Mischief asked, his eyes twinkling.

Sandy couldn't help wondering if Jack was asking because he needed to find something else to preoccupy his mind with. Other than what was currently residing in it. Regardless of the reason, Sandy—not one to keep a secret from his friends—told Jack of his musings. Particularly of the strong friendship he has with the Guardian of Memories. Along with his worry over his young friend, what with Jack acting strangely.

"Strange?" Jack asked, defensively. "I haven't been acting strange."

"Yes, you have." The Sandman was confident of that. With the intricate hieroglyphics that he uses to communicate with others, Sandy went on to say, "You've been acting strangely since the full moon. That far-away look on your face? Sighing a lot? Looking like you're on the verge of making a decision? I've never seen you behave that way, and I have known you for a very long time, Jack Frost."

Jack was silent for a moment, deep in contemplation. It was a rare sight watching him have an inner debate. It was as rare a sight as seeing him sit still. The Sandman was about to drop it, not expecting Jack to really explain himself, when the Winter Spirit suddenly decided to open up to him. That, in and of itself, told the Guardian of Dreams how very much conflicted his friend was.

"Tooth heard me play the pan pipe." Jack's words came out slowly. It was as if he was thinking things through, careful of the words he chose to speak.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Sandy asked, frowning a bit as to why Jack would be worried about that. "I thought you said you wanted to learn how to play it so that you can play something for her?"

"I did," Jack replied, getting worked up. Agitated. "I do. She's still the reason...It's just...When I really think about what I want? I get cold feet all of the sudden," Jack chuckled at that. "Me. Jack Frost. Getting cold feet."

"Did you know how many times I almost ruined the whole song because I was so nervous? It was such a wonder how she enjoyed my performance even though it sucked." Another sigh from the young Guardian. "She even said it was beautiful. And you know what I did, Sandy? I stuttered like an idiot, made some lame excuse of being needed elsewhere, and ran away with my tail between my legs."

If Jack Frost didn't look like he was really distraught by it all, the Sandman would have laughed. But Jack was—as uncharacteristic of him it was—upset. And although he wasn't really an expert on the subject of "love", he was still the Guardian of Dreams. And as clichéd as it might sound, Toothiana had been Jack's dream for a while now.

He didn't exactly know when Jack first started to feel something more than friendship to the Queen of the Toothfairies. He couldn't really attribute it to "love at first sight". But he knew, somewhere along the way, while they were trying to keep the children's belief on the Toothfairy from disappearing, Jack began to truly care about Toothiana. More than how friends normally would.

It was a gradual sort of change. Not at all like a switch suddenly being turned on. Sandy knew that, and Jack knew that too.

"Have you talked to her since?" Sandy asked, though he already knew the answer. Jack Frost, after all, had been hanging around him during his free time since then.

"No," Jack groaned.

"Why?" The Guardian of Dreams was perplexed. "You've always been comfortable talking with Toothiana."

"It's not a matter of being comfortable or not," the young Guardian argued. "I can't just tell her."

"I don't think it's a matter of what you can or cannot do, Jack. And I know you know that, too." Sandy said. He had long ago stopped watching the young spirit and had, instead, focused his attention on the vast expanse of the evening sky. "It's not that you can't tell her. It's that you wouldn't."

"Well...yeah..." The way Jack responded make it sound as if that was obvious, and he wasn't even hiding it. "Can you imagine me just blurting it out? No. Wait. Don't answer that."

"Have you thought that, maybe, what you're feeling isn't one-sided?"

Jack snorted. With a tone dripped in sarcasm, he said, "Yeah, right. The Mini Fairies' infatuation with me is because their queen feels the same way." He rolled his eyes. "Get real, Sandy."

"Well, they are an extension of herself..."

"She gave them free will and their own personality. The bond she has with them isn't something passive. She doesn't even use it," Jack pointed right back out. "The Mini Fairies are practically their own person."

"Well, I'm just saying, give it a try." The Sandman shrugged. "Really, Jack. Just talk with her. She might surprise you."

Jack was about to say something, when he noticed where they were. Punjam Hy Loo. The Toothfairies' Palace.

He looked at the Sandman. His eyes, narrowed. Sandy, for his part, grinned. He can just be as mischievous as the Winter Spirit if he wanted. Of course, he wouldn't have been able to surprise Jack if Jack had only been paying attention to where they were going.

"Talk to her," was all the Guardian of Dreams said before he rolled his hands and had his dreamsands pick Jack up from his hoodie's collar before dumping him on one of the many pillars of Punjam Hy Loo.

Jack, not appreciating being picked up and dumped, was making such a racket that it didn't take long for the Mini Fairies to notice their visitor.

Sanderson McSnoozie didn't stick around to watch the Mini Fairies dot on Jack Frost. Silently laughing, he steered his dreamship away from the palace. He was certain Jack was going to get back at him for it. But the boy needed more than a little push. He needed a decent shove.


	6. Jack Frost and the Eternal Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The annual Flower Festival is underway and Jack Frost wants to give something special to Toothiana. But with his powers, he is reminded of his inability to do just that. With time running out, what can the Guardian of Fun and Mischief do?

# Jack Frost and the Eternal Flower

Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun and Mischief, had always been proud of what he could do. While some spirits might not think much of his powers and what he could give to children—some even wondering what good snow could do—the Winter Spirit wouldn't trade it for anything. He was perfectly happy being able to provide children an opportunity to play and enjoy their childhood. After all, who doesn't like a snow day?

It took one particular incident to make Jack infuriated with his powers, however. And it so happens to also be one of the first celebrations he had with the entire spirit community.

The spirit community has a lot of events and activities, parties they celebrate with everyone. Back when Jack had a notoriety that came along with him, he had always wondered what it would feel like to be a part of those celebrations for he was never invited. And so, when he accepted to become a member of the Guardians of Childhood, the Guardian of Fun and Mischief made sure to accept every invitation that made its way to him. Of course, there were some spirits who thought he only did so because it provided him with a perfect venue and opportunity to instigate pranks and allowed him to be mischievous. They never knew that Jack didn't need to do anything and that these events themselves were plenty of fun.

Amongst the many aforementioned celebrations was the Flower Festival that the spirits enjoy during the entire month of May. It is a festival where the earth and flower spirits are in charge of. During this festival, spirits exchange gifts—preferably flowers or something made from it—to other female spirits that they like, appreciate, and care about.

When Jack Frost first heard about the Flower Festival, he realized that it would be the perfect opportunity to get Toothiana something; to show her how thankful he was to have someone like her by his side.

Since then Jack had tried very hard to find the prettiest and rarest flower of all for the Queen of the Toothfairies. Being his stubborn self, Jack believed that nothing short of that would do. He wanted to make her feel special, after all.

And so, months even before the Flower Festival began, Jack would search high and low, far and wide, for that one, special flower. He would climb the highest mountains, traverse dangerous expanses of hidden caverns, delve into the deepest caves, and brave even the dangerously warm temperatures and climates just for the sake of that one flower.

Yet, Jack soon learned—or was reminded—of the fact that he was unable to touch nature without sending them frozen; that one touch on them would make them lose their wonderful and vibrant color and pleasant aroma. It didn't even matter if it was a flowering shrub, a bush, a tree, a bouquet, a vast expanse of verdant pasture, or even the ugliest of weeds. Even getting anywhere near them was enough to wilt any kind of vegetation. Several times he had found what he believed was the perfect blossom, only for it to freeze, wilt, and die before his very eyes. It was enough to drive the Guardian of Fun and Mischief crazy. It didn't help that his mood swings affected the weather around him, which would often result in a snowstorm, a blizzard, or a flurry. That, of course, only made matters worse.

Jack Frost kept trying, however. But as the days turned into months, and despite how much he tried, no flower could withstand the cold temperature he brings. Before the Winter Spirit knew it, the month-long Flower Festival had begun.

One could imagine what Jack Frost might have felt. May was already here and he still didn't have anything to give to Toothiana. He was certain her admirers—for the Queen of the Toothfairies, being one of the fairy-folks, certainly had a lot of them—were already lining up to give her their gift. That thought alone made Jack work even harder, staying away for long periods of time. Still, he returned empty-handed.

On one such occasion when Jack was unable to retrieve a flower, he caught sight of Toothiana being mobbed by several spirits who were eagerly giving her their Flower Festival offerings.

Seeing the Guardian of Memories with such a large crowd, Jack quickly hid himself. He didn't want any of them to see him. He was certain these spirits were expecting him to give something to Her Majesty, just as he was certain Tooth was also expecting of him.

The more he watched them offer their gifts to her, the more jealous of them he felt. They didn't have the same problems that he was having. All of the things they had given Tooth looked and smelt beautiful and wonderful. Even Groun D. Hog had whipped up a fantastic bouquet, the colors of which matched Toothiana's feathers perfectly and one could tell it was made especially for her. There was still a lot of spirits who were handing her gifts when Jack could bear it no longer and decided to fly away from there as stealthily as he could.

The Guardian of Fun and Mischief didn't have a particular destination in mind when he fled, all he could think of—the only instruction he gave The Wind—was for it to take him away.

The Wind has many facades. The one that always accompanies and aids Jack Frost was named, Boreas of the Northern Wind. Boreas is the only one among his brethren to be able to stand—or rather, fly—side-by-side with the Winter Spirit as they both provide the icy chill in the air. And although the Northern Wind is often viewed by its fellows as frightening and frigid, Boreas was a loyal friend and one who had always taken it upon himself to look after Jack Frost. He understood the Winter Spirit and could often tell what Jack needed even before the Winter Spirit, himself, does. That time was no different. Giving such an instruction to his long-time companion and friend enabled The Wind just enough freedom to do what it thought was best at that moment.

Jack, who had been so deep in thought, didn't realize where he was headed. If he had been attentive during his flight, he would have willed The Wind to take him anywhere but at that location at that very moment.

As it was, it was already too late when he realized and he had already caught the attention of the spirit who resides in that part of the globe.

Valentina Lovecraft was one of the gentlest of spirits Jack Frost had ever come across. She was the Spirit of Pure Love—the love often found between family and friends. Love, at its purest and unconditional form. Valentina was also the spirit who protects the blossoming of first love. And though she was the least threatening in all of the spirit realm, Jack always found it hard to converse with her. It wasn't just because, like the Sandman, she didn't have an audible voice, but because whenever she speaks, it was as though she could read what was in the deepest recesses of his mind. It unnerved him.

Having said that, however, Jack Frost didn't have anything against the Spirit of Pure Love. In all honesty, he liked her enough. It's just, it wasn't a good time for him to be in the presence of one such as her.

'Jack Frost, what a surprise.' Valentina greeted him with simple images to depict what she wanted to convey. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?'

"N-No particular reason," Jack replied, clearing his throat. He willed his mind to be clear of any troubling thoughts that may tip Valentina off about his worries. Knowing her, once she finds out, she would be sure to try to help. Although he may need help, Jack didn't want her to meddle and turn the whole thing into something big that the other spirits might get wind of. After all, he didn't want everyone to think that the Flower Festival was giving him so much trouble. He wanted everyone to think he was cool and aloof about it.

Valentina looked at him, scrutinizing him. She could tell that the Guardian was hiding something. For a short moment, she closed her eyes and listened to what The Wind had to say.

_Don't you dare tell her anything!_ The Winter Spirit thought. It was embarrassing enough that The Wind even brought him there, he didn't want any additional reason to add to that embarrassment.

When Valentina opened her eyes, however, Jack knew that his silent plea was not heard.

'The Wind tells me something is troubling you,' she said. When Jack didn't confirm—nor deny—it, she asked, 'He says it has been going on for a while now. Are you alright, Jack Frost?'

Jack tried very hard not to groan in frustration. He didn't want to tell her, but he didn't want to sound rude in telling her off either. For someone who was not used to speaking with other spirits without making it sound like he was mocking them, Jack didn't know what to do. And so he opted to just nod and say nothing, which only further invited the Spirit of Pure Love to speak candidly, albeit not before asking Jack if it would be alright for her to do so.

Not knowing what else to say, Jack nodded once more.

'It seems to me that you are trying too hard and are over-thinking things,' Valentina said in that knowing way of hers. 'You're trying to do things the way most would, which is very much unlike you, Jack Frost. And you are searching for something that someone has already succeeded in finding before you.'

"What are you—?" Jack shook his head, he wasn't going to say something embarrassing. So, instead, he asked, "What would you suggest, then?"

Valentina Lovecraft smiled. 'Stop searching. You will not make it in time if you keep this up, Jack Frost. And I have a feeling you do not want to miss the opportunity.'

"You want me to just give up?" Jack was incredulous. "Are you crazy? That's even worse than not making it in time!"

'You misunderstood me.' Valentina said, not the least bit offended. 'I would not suggest such a thing, especially on something that is obviously important to you. I am merely saying that, if you keep with the same method you have employed for the past few months in search of your flower, you will not succeed. A wilted flower does not impress anyone, Jack Frost.'

"What happened to the whole 'it's the thought that counts' thing?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he asked. He was certain Valentina was one of those spirits who believe in such a thing.

'Would you really be content in hearing just that, though?' Valentina asked right back, she looked thoughtful as she uttered that question to him.

"I suppose not." Jack admitted, chuckling to himself. He then sat, cross-legged, on the ground and began to think. Before he knew it, he had admitted what was troubling him and had allowed Valentina to help. "If I'm going to stop searching for the rarest and most beautiful flower, then what am I supposed to give Tooth?"

'Perhaps something that can only come from you?' Valentina suggested. 'Wouldn't something like that be rare in its own right?'

"Something that can only come from me, huh…?" Jack began thinking long and hard about that. He wondered what he could give the Queen of the Toothfairies for the festival that would instantly tell her it was from him. Something that she wouldn't mistake came from anyone else.

After a while, Jack Frost grinned. Valentina didn't need to ask him if he had found his answer. That look alone was proof.

Jumping to his feet, the Guardian of Fun and Mischief turned to the Spirit of Pure Love and said, "I know what I have to do now."

'That's good to hear,' Valentina returned his smile. 'I wish you luck, Jack Frost.'

Jack nodded. He was about to call for The Wind to take him to North's workshop at the pole when he remembered something else that he needed to do.

Turning to face Valentina again, the Winter Spirit scratched the back of his head and stuttering, said, "Uh…I…Thank you, Valentina. If…If there's anything you need—anything at all—I'll be glad to help you out in the future."

'There is no need for thanks,' Valentina replied. 'I only did what any good friend would do. Now go. You mustn't dilly-dally. You have a lot of work to do.'

Jack grinned. He did have a lot of work to do. With one, final farewell—and with a promise to tell her the fruits of his labor—Jack Frost whistled for The Wind to carry him on his way.

Several days after that, while Valentina Lovecraft was inside her small hut in the middle of the forest, instructing her Cupids, and giving them their work for the day, she felt a cold wind blow, followed by a knock on her door.

When she went to open it, expecting to see Jack Frost, all she found was a bright pink, rose-like flower made entirely of ice, emitting a cool breeze. It shone and sparkled like a crystal whenever the light touched it. Along with the crystalized flower was a note, and it read:

> _Valentina,_
> 
> _Thank you for your help. I wouldn't have figured out what to do if you hadn't suggested what you did. Tooth loved the flower. And since I've been told that the Flower Festival is for sharing gifts to those we appreciate in our lives, I thought it would be fitting to give you one as well._
> 
> _This is an Eternal Flower. It's the rarest flower in the entire universe…considering there are only two in existence (and I'm pretty sure at that, after all, I was the one who made it). As long as I am around, this flower will never wilt, and it doesn't need to be watered or bathed in sunlight. It will also constantly give off a cool breeze, which is pretty useful if it's hot and humid, and although it looks fragile, it's really not. I hope you like it._
> 
> _Jack Frost_

Valentina smiled and looked fondly at the Eternal Flower.

The Spirit of Love received many gifts from the Flower Festival, but that particular one had to be her favorite.


	7. Queen Toothiana and the Eternal Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toothiana hasn't seen the Guardian of Fun and Mischief in a while. Worried, she goes around asking the other Guardians if they know of his whereabouts. Takes place during the Flower Festival. A companion piece to Jack Frost and the Eternal Flower.

# Queen Toothiana and the Eternal Flower

It has been weeks since Toothiana had seen the Guardian of Fun and Mischief (and her good friend), Jack Frost. It wasn't for lack of trying to take a break from her duties as the Queen of the Toothfairies that kept her from seeing him again. She had actually taken time, on several occasions, to check up on him. Or tried to, at least, for it would appear as though Jack Frost himself did not wish to be found.

It was strange. Perplexing. And it made Toothiana feel uneasy. That, in turn, made her Mini Fairies worry about her. And when the Queen of the Toothfairies became anxious about something, it was hard not to take notice.

On any other day, E. Aster Bunnymund would not have minded the visit. He actually enjoys it when Toothiana comes over to his Warren. Unlike some spirits he could name, the Guardian of Memories did not cause trouble in the slightest. Nor does she merely visit for the sake of starting a debate on which holiday--Christmas or Easter--was more important. His conversations with the ruler of Punjam Hy Loo always bordered on the intellectual. Their debates were always so refreshing.

This particular visit, however, was something he could do without. Although Easter was still a very long ways away, he didn't want to be behind schedule. He wanted every preparation to be ready even before the season came. What was more annoying was the reason for Tooth's visit. Tooth had come to him—of all things—to ask about Jack Frost.

_Why in Tsar Lunar's name is she asking me about him?_ Bunnymund tried his best to hide his annoyance as he gently placed one decorated egg after another inside his hand-woven basket. He was already behind schedule as it was thanks to the Flower Festival.

"—I mean, I understand he may need some time to himself, but can't he see how much worry he's giving everyone?" Toothiana went on ranting, not knowing about Bunnymund's internal struggle not to throw her out of the Warren. "The least he could do is tell us where he would be. What if there's an emergency? What if Pitch suddenly comes back and we're one-Guardian short?"

"That's not gonna happen, Tooth," Bunnymund assured the queen. "If Pitch decides to show his ugly mug again, you can be sure Jack'll be at the forefront of the battle. He's gonna be around when he's needed."

"Are you saying he's not needed now?" Toothiana asked, failing to see Bunnymund's point.

"Maybe he's busy."

"With what?"

"His job? Creating a snow storm over some poor state or another? Making a spirit or two's life miserable with his stupid pranks? Maybe he's actin' all depressed again somewhere in Antarctica?" Bunnymund enumerated, his attention still focused on the eggs he was decorating. "I can go on and on with this, if you want."

Toothiana glared at the Guardian of Hope's back. "Not helping, Bunnymund."

The last of the Pooka sighed, placed the paintbrush he had been using down on his desk, and turned his chair around to face Toothiana. His eyes were narrowed at her, as if he was suspicious about something. Tooth could tell that his patience was running thin.

"What's gotten into you, _Shiela_?" Bunnymund asked. "Since when has Jack Frost's sudden disappearances bothered you so much? It's not like this is the first time the old rat bag decided to drop off the radar. Besides, knowin' him, Frost is probably just hiding because of all this Flower Festival business."

"W-Well," Toothiana wondered how she was going to answer that. It was true that she wasn't bothered by the Winter Spirit's disappearances before. He was a free spirit, after all. And, like the Wind, Jack had the tendency of greatly disliking being confined in one place for too long. He didn't like to be tied down. It wasn't hard to imagine that he would be hiding because of a festival, either. Jack had never shown any interest in those kinds of festival as far as she could tell.

When Toothiana failed to answer after a while, Bunnymund raised an eyebrow. If he had known asking her that would made her clam up, he would have asked the question sooner.

As he carefully watched his guest, another question popped up in the Pooka's head and a grin slowly spread across his face.

"Tooth?" he ventured, uncertain of how she was going to react with his query.

The Queen of the Toothfairies' head jerked up. She had been pondering over the question Bunnymund had thrown her earlier that she forgot she was not by herself. Her reaction amused the Guardian of Hope even more.

"Oh, sorry. I was just..."

Bunnymund cut her off. "Thinking. I know. And it seems like you're struggling with my question, too. Which, in turn, got me thinking..."

"Why do I have a feeling this is heading into something I would rather not discuss?" Toothiana spoke hesitantly. The tone Bunnymund was using did not ease the nervousness she felt with whatever path Bunnymund's thoughts seem to have taken him.

"Don't get your knickers in a knot," Bunnymund dismissed what she was saying, waving his hand which was holding the paintbrush about. This caused a few droplets of paint to go flying in different directions. "You've been away with the pixies ever since you came barging in here asking me if I know where Frost is. And the way you're behaving...well, I just gotta know if Eros managed to get to you."

"What are you talking about?" It was Tooth's turn to narrow her eyes at Bunnymund. "What does that obnoxious spirit have anything to do with Jack missing?"

"It ain't have nothing to do with Jack, _Sheila_." Bunnymund rolled his eyes. Does he really need to spell it out to her? He didn't want to play sillybuggers with her. Not when he still had a lot of eggs to paint and decorate, and a lot of other things to do. "You do remember who Eros Sureshot is, don't ya?"

Toothiana nodded. Of course she does! How could she forget? Toothiana's thoughts about that particular spirit was no secret after all. The number of problems he had caused her was enough for her to have a great dislike for him. What kind of stupid question...

And then she understood the real meaning behind E. Aster Bunnymund's question. Judging from the way her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and the tinge of red that painted her face, Bunnymund could tell that she did.

"Bunnymund!" Toothiana admonished. She tried her best to glare at her fellow Guardian, but she didn't know how believable it was.

"What?" Bunnymund's lips quirked into a smile. "I just gotta know. The way you're acting, it looks as though you've been hit by Cupid's arrow. Real hard. You're actin' like Frost's girlfriend."

"I have not! That is completely absurd! Ridiculous!" Tooth was zipping around all over Bunnymund's workshop as she spoke, clearly agitated. "Jack and I are friends. I am merely worried about my _friend_."

"Friend, yeah...right," The Easter Bunny snorted as he turned his chair back around and continued on working with the eggs. "Whatever you say, Toothiana. Now, as much as I enjoy your company, I really do have to get these finish soon. So, if you may..." Bunnymund waved his hand in dismissal, "...you know the way out."

* * *

 

The Queen of the Toothfairies had only managed to calm herself down when she arrived at North's workshop.

Unlike the Warren, there wasn't a subtle hint of urgency in the workshop. The Yetis, however, have already begun to create countless of toys for the children, building as many toys as they could with the designs Nicholas St. North had given them.

North, for his part, was surprised to see Tooth. Although the workshop was open to all the Guardians, as it was also their headquarters, Toothiana seldom— if ever—visited unless there was some emergency. That thought alone made the Guardian of Wonder worried.

"Toothiana!" Nicholas St. North's voice boomed as he greeted Tooth with a big bear hug. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I hope everything is alright."

"Everything is fine, North," Toothiana giggled as North released her. "I just came by to ask you if you have seen Jack lately."

"Jack?" North scratched his beard and tried to remember if the Winter Spirit had come by recently. A couple of seconds later, he shook his head and replied, "No. I haven't seen Jack in quite a while. The last time I saw him, he was busy preparing for something..."

"When was it?" Toothiana immediately asked.

"About a…let's see…three weeks ago." North replied. His brow then furrowed and with a hint of worry, he asked, "Why? Is there something wrong, Tooth? Is he in trouble?"

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong." Quickly, she replied, which only served to make North suspicious.

"Toothy," North warned. He was not very fond of people—especially close friends—lying to him.

Toothiana sighed. "Please stop calling me by that ridiculous pet name, North."

"I will if you tell me the truth." North replied, although, in truth, he didn't plan to stop calling her that. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing, really," Toothiana assured him. "I am simply wondering about Jack's whereabouts. I haven't seen him in a while, and I am worried that something might have happened to him."

"I am sure Jack is alright," the Guardian of Wonder said. "Last time I saw him, he seemed happy. Even a little bit excited. He is probably just planning another one of his pranks. Maybe one for Bunny."

"And you're not going to stop him from whatever practical joke he intends to unleash?" Toothiana was incredulous. She could still remember how angry the Easter Bunny had been the first time around. "Bunnymund is going to murder him if he successfully carries out his plan."

"No need to worry, Toothy," Toothiana glared once more at the nickname. "Bunnymund is well-aware of that. After the Spring of 1868, he has always been prepared for whatever Jack might throw at him."

"But, still—"

"Toothiana, it is all in good fun." Turning to one of the elves that was roaming around, North said, "You. Bring me cookies, and tea for our guest!"

The elf saluted North before scampering off to the kitchen. It has always made the Guardian of Memories wonder how the elves, who were so clumsy, could be trusted to take care of anything culinary. She had often mused how unsurprising it would be if, one day, the kitchen would just blow up.

"Now, while we wait for cookies and tea, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you."

Toothiana pulled herself back to the present, surprised by the words of the ex-Cossack. She didn't understand what Nicholas St. North meant. There was nothing else bothering her save for the mischievous spirit's whereabouts.

"There's nothing else, North. Really."

Despite the sincerity in Toothiana's words, it took a while for North to believe what she said.

"Really?" he was incredulous. "I thought for certain you have bigger problem than Jack." The warrior seem to think about that for a while, before he shook his head and chuckled, correcting himself. "Well, Jack _is_ a big problem, in and of himself, I suppose."

Toothiana laughed at that. "He is, isn't he?"

When their laughter had died down, North eyed Toothiana.

"What?" Toothiana asked, still with a smile on her face, as she noticed North looking at her strangely.

Nicholas St. North chuckled once more. "I am simply happy to see how far you have gone, Toothy. I still remember the first time we have met. You were so willing to rip our throats out than trust us."

"That was a long, long time ago, North," Toothiana looked away, embarrassed by the memory. She had been rather fierce, and unforgiving, back then.

"Yes, that is true," North admitted, smiling that kind, fatherly smile of his. "But if someone would have told me back then how much you have changed like this? Well, I wouldn't have believed them. The same is true for Jack, you know? I was confident that he would make a great Guardian when Man in Moon chose him. But, before? It didn't cross my mind. He is far too much a rabble-rouser. He doesn't like rules, and thinks of them as nothing more than a recommendation. Did you know that I once caught him trespassing? When I pointed out to him the large sign that had forbidden anyone from entering, he told me that he did read it but opted to take it as a suggestion. I wanted to throttle him so badly."

"That's Jack, alright," Toothiana giggled.

"Yes. Now, however, he seemed to have changed. I am sure you have noticed it as well. He isn't as...reckless." North saw Tooth nod at that, though she remained silent. Perhaps contemplating. "I can't help wonder _why_."

"Perhaps he is just growing up," North went on. "But, sometimes I wonder if there is another explanation. Another reason."

"Why are you telling me this?" Toothiana didn't understand what North's whole spiel was about. Without meaning to, her tone became defensive.

North shrugged. If Toothiana wasn't ready to see it yet, he wasn't going to force her too. Besides, it would be interesting to watch from the sidelines how this would all play out.

* * *

 

Toothiana decided to take one last detour, heading off to Sandman's Island. Despite the headache-inducing conversations she had with Bunnymund and North, the Queen of the Toothfairies held out hope that, perhaps, Sandy would be different.

"The Island of Sleepy Sands". Sandman's Island--an island made of dreamsands hardened into the earth creating long, spiraling tendrils of land--was a sight to behold to those who can find it.

Sanderson ManSnoozie was one of the oldest spirits around. And with that in mind, Toothiana hoped that he, at least, would have an insight on where their missing friend and ally was.

As it turns out, even the Sandman was clueless about Jack's whereabouts.

"Are you sure?" Toothiana didn't know what else to say. The Sandman had been her last hope for information, and now she would have to return to Punjam Hy Loo empty-handed. "You haven't seen him in weeks as well, Sandy?"

The little golden man shook his head sadly, and in an intricate and quick succession of images told the queen that he, himself, had been searching for the Winter Spirit as well.

The Queen of the Toothfairies sighed. The forlorn look on her face was enough to make Sandy worried. It was not every day one would find the Guardian of Memories looking saddened about something.

Being the kindhearted spirit that he is, the Sandman was quick to ask Toothiana what was wrong. The Queen, however, simply shook her head.

' _Do you need a lift back?_ ' Sandy asked. He knew how capable Toothiana was. There was no better flier than her. But he didn't want to leave her by herself.

"Oh, no." Tooth smiled. "I couldn't possibly—"

The Guardian of Dreams smiled as he waved her off. With images conjured from dreamsands, he told her that it was no bother at all.

' _I was just on my way out as well,_ ' he added.

Briefly, Toothiana wondered if there was something behind Sandy's offer. She quickly shook that thought away, and blamed it on fatigue. It had been a long day, after all.

And so she accepted the Sandman's proposition. This pleased the Guardian of Dreams, clapping his hands in delight. He didn't wait long to mold a vehicle—a sailboat—with his dreamsands for both himself and Toothiana.

The sailboat flew across the sea of clouds, dispersing dreamsands wherever they went. The golden sands glimmer in the moonlight, making it glow even more. It was always a beautiful sight.

Toothiana's eyes followed the trail of dreamsands as it snaked its way to the houses, keeping close watch for a white-haired spirit that may be playing with the sands as they went on their journey. The Sandman, for his part, watched Toothiana.

Prior to her visit, Sandy had already received word from Bunnymund and North about her. They have told him about her stopover and search for their youngest member. And cautioned him in saying anything that might upset the Queen of the Toothfairies.

It would appear, however, that he had failed at that last point. He had made Toothiana upset, though that was not his intention and he really didn't have a choice on the matter. He couldn't raise her hopes up by telling her a lie. It was funny, actually. Until Tooth had asked if they had seen the Guardian of Fun and Mischief, he, North, and Bunnymund never actually wondered where he was. They figured he would be doing his own thing somewhere. They should have paid more attention.

As he continued to watch the Queen of Punjam Hy Loo, the Sandman also began to notice and realize the same things as the others she had went to see prior to him did. He wondered why he didn't notice it before, and it actually took the on-going Flower Festival and a missing Winter Spirit for him to notice.

' _Can I ask why you are searching for Jack?_ ' Sandy surprised Toothiana with the question he asked so suddenly. ' _It isn't uncommon for Jack to be gone for long periods of time, but it seems that even with that knowledge, you are distraught._ '

"N-No particular reason," Toothiana replied. The way she stuttered and how she failed to look at him when she spoke told the Guardian of Dreams that the queen was lying. There was a reason. "Like I have said before, I am merely worried by his absence."

Disregarding what Tooth said, Sandy decided to share his own thought on the matter, saying, ' _I'm sure you've heard this from the others, but Jack probably just didn't like the festival and is laying low until it's over. Besides, if you think about it, maybe that really is the case and he just doesn't want to inconvenience everyone with his presence._ '

"What does that mean? How could his presence inconvenience anyone?"

' _The Flower Festival is a spring festival,_ ' Sandy began to explain. ' _Jack is, as you know, a Winter Spirit. His presence could freeze those flowers, which in turn can be problematic for those who enjoy the festival._ ' He then shrugged and added, ' _That may be the reason for his absence._ '

Tooth thought to herself for a while. In all honesty, she didn't realize the possibility contained within the Sandman's words. She wasn't going to admit that Jack's absence during the festival was among the reasons why she was looking for him. Nor was she going to admit that she was curious why she hadn't received anything from him for that festival, considering how she thought that she would be among his good female friends.

"I suppose you have a point," the Guardian of Memories slowly admitted, her worry transforming into understanding.

Still, there was a sadness in the way she spoke that confused the little, golden man. No, it wasn't really sadness. It was more of…disappointment. Instead of trying to pry into whatever it was going on with Tooth, however, the Sandman chose to take the route of silence—one that Toothiana appreciated.

As Toothiana disembarked from Sandy's dreamsand sailboat, thanking him for the ride, the Guardian of Dreams could only hope Jack Frost has something up his sleeves that would make up for his absence.

* * *

 

The Mini Fairies—Baby Tooth, in particular—need not ask how their queen's day had been. The tired and forlorn look on her face was answer enough. Whatever their Queen Toothiana's reasons were for leaving Punjam Hy Loo—a reason that she had kept a secret, even from her closest confidant—was unfruitful.

Toothiana waved off the worried looks and the concern the Mini Fairies were giving her and instructed them to keep the operations of Punjam Hy Loo moving along. Not wishing to add to the heaviness of their queen's thoughts, the Mini Fairies agreed to give her some space.

As soon as she was alone in her room, Toothiana allowed herself to fall, face first, on her bed. She felt silly. She had, not only left her responsibilities in favor of learning Jack's whereabouts, but undoubtedly had made a fool of herself with the other Guardians.

_I should have just let it go._ Tooth thought to herself as she grabbed a pillow from a nearby mound of pillows and she rolled to her back. _And I should probably stop thinking about it. It's not helping me any._

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. The Guardian of Memories needn't look at a clock to know that the final day of the Flower Festival was almost over.

_It's not about you, Toothiana._ The Queen of the Toothfairies chastised herself. _Sandy's right. Jack's a Winter Spirit. You couldn't expect him to participate. It's probably not even his sort of thing._

Another deep sigh escaped Her Majesty's lips, before she sat herself up, nodded, and said aloud—with as much conviction and positivity as she could muster. "Alright. Enough moping around. Let's get back to work, Toothiana."

* * *

 

Baby Tooth stared at Jack Frost. He looked like he was up to something, and it worried her that the Guardian of Fun and Mischief may have a prank planned and just about ready to instigate it on their queen. Now was not the time. Queen Toothiana was very much upset, for whatever the reason might be.

"I need your help with something, Baby Tooth." Jack said, whispering conspiratorially. "I could probably ask any one of you, but I think you're the one best suited to pull this off."

' _Pull what off?_ ' Baby Tooth asked, but like always Jack's understanding of hummingbird speech was very low—almost bordering on non-existent. ' _What are you up to, Jack Frost?_ '

Even though Jack could barely tell what, exactly, Baby Tooth was chirping about, the look she was giving him was enough for him to understand, somewhat.

The Winter Spirit laughed, "Don't worry, Baby Tooth. I'm not up to anything…well, anything dangerous, irresponsible, or mischievous." He raised his right hand, as if taking an oath. "I promise."

The Mini Fairy stared at the Guardian of Fun and Mischief, gauging the truthfulness of his words. When she saw that he wasn't lying, Baby Tooth sighed and nodded for Jack to explain himself.

Jack did just that.

The more Baby Tooth listened, the more her skeptical expression changed into a huge grin.

* * *

 

Toothiana was about to leave her room when Baby Tooth suddenly popped in through the small slot in her door that allowed her Mini Fairies entrance. This, of course, surprised the Queen of the Toothfairies.

"Baby Tooth!" she exclaimed, hands on her rapidly-beating chest. "What are you—? Is something wrong?"

' _Queen Toothiana!_ ' Baby Tooth chirped.

"What is it?" Tooth didn't want to deal with anything close to problematic at the moment.

' _Jack._ ' Baby Tooth said. ' _He sent a message asking for your help. He said he was stuck at the pond in Burgess._ '

For a moment, Toothiana merely blinked at Baby Tooth. She wasn't certain she had heard her Mini Fairy properly. That area she spoke of, after all, was one of the first places Tooth had checked for her missing Winter Spirit friend.

"Did you just say…" she trailed off.

' _Jack, Your Majesty, he's in trouble!_ '

That snapped Toothiana to attention. Without another word, nor any other questions, the Guardian of Memories rushed off, away from Punjam Hy Loo and towards Burgess.

* * *

 

Amongst all of the spirits, Toothiana belonged to the fastest. She is all speed and movement. And when she puts herself to it, when she lets all her restraint go and allow her wings to carry her as quickly as they could, she could even beat Bunnymund's tunnels and North's Snow Globes in getting from one place to another. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that Tooth arrived as soon as she did.

The entire area was quiet. Something that made Toothiana's skin crawl. The alarming news that Baby Tooth had shared with her created worrisome visions for Tooth, her imagination going overdrive as she thought of all the bad and horrid things that might have happened to Jack Frost.

Dual daggers in hand, Tooth slowly began to search for Jack. As worried as she was, she didn't want to stumble into some sort of trap and make matters worse for her and Jack.

As she was flying carefully along, her eyes caught something glittering, hidden slightly by the bushes and the trees. She was not far from where the pond was at that point. And when a gentle cold wind blew, Tooth decided to follow the source. What she found confused, mystified, and awed her.

In the middle of the pond was a small islet—no bigger than a grown man's arm—made of ice. At its center was a rose-like flower—bright pink and seemingly made of crystal. As Tooth flew cautiously towards it, she noticed that the closer she got, the cooler the breeze was. It was as if the flower itself was generating the winter-esque wind.

So mesmerized was she that, for a moment, Tooth forgot what she was doing there. That was until, a voice spoke from behind her.

"The Eternal Flower," Jack's voice floated from atop one of the trees surrounding the pond from where he was perched, watching the Queen of the Toothfairies curiously. He took a deep breath before jumping from the tree and landing near said flower. "The rarest flower in the world."

"Jack!" Tooth was surprised to see him, and in better shape than she had expected. She quickly flew towards him, remembering the reason why she had flown there to begin with. "What are you—? Are you alright? Baby Tooth told me you were in trouble."

There was a nervousness in the way Jack laughed, scratching the back of his head and looking away as he said, "Yeah…about that…I had to find a way to get you to come out here as soon as possible. I don't have much time left, after all. Of course, I only have myself to blame for that. I was thinking too hard…or I wasn't thinking about it much at all."

Jack was talking too fast. So fast that even Tooth had a hard time understanding what he was saying.

"What?" Tooth asked. Having only understood the first half of what Jack had said. "You had Baby Tooth _lie_ for you? Jack!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But I didn't force her to, you know. When I told her what I had planned, Baby Tooth was more than willing to help. Besides, I didn't actually lie. I really am in trouble, and you're the only one who can help me out."

"What you had planned?"

Jack grinned sheepishly before bending to pick the crystal flower. Tooth watched him carefully. She knew of the Winter Spirit's infamous reputation for being a mischief-maker.

_I swear, if he has a prank up his sleeves and that's his reason for making me worry like that, I'm going to punch him. Hard._

What Jack did next, however, was not something the Guardian of Memories expected. Although it was something she had hoped for.

"For you, My Lady," Jack curtsied, giving her that lopsided smile of his—despite the nervousness he was feeling—as he presented the Eternal Flower to her.

It was like the cogs in Tooth's mind decided it was a good idea to stop to a crawl at that moment. She had a really hard time processing what was happening. She wondered if it was just a dream of sorts; if she had actually fallen asleep.

Jack frowned. He had hoped Tooth would be happy, not verging on catatonic. It made him panic.

"Tooth?" Did I…Did I do something wrong? "A-Are you alright?"

"I'm not really here am I? This has to be Sandy's doing." Jack heard Tooth mutter under her breath. "He must've knocked me out."

Jack couldn't help himself from chuckling as he straightened himself, becoming amused with the way Tooth was starting to get both flustered and agitated. "What are you talking about? What does the Sandman have anything to do about what I'm doing?"

"He knows I've been asking around about you. He also knows how disappointed I was. This has to be his way of making me feel better. Nice try, Sandy. This has to be the most realistic one yet."

"Are you sure about that?" the grin on Jack's face widened with every word that escaped the Queen of the Toothfairies' mouth. "You're giving the Sandman way too much credit for something he had absolutely no hand on."

"What other explanation is there?" Toothiana asked, she sounded dejected. It never once crossed her mind that she was far too lucid to be dreaming.

"It's not impossible for me to come up with a way to give you something for the Flower Festival, Tooth. It might've been hard, and frustrating, and I may have needed a bit of help from a friend, but it wasn't impossible." Jack said. He then gave her a genuine smile and added, "Besides, would I really miss out on an opportunity to tell you and show you how important you are to me and how much I appreciate you?"

Not waiting for her to answer, Jack began to explain his present. "Like I was saying, this is an Eternal Flower. The rarest flower in the world. It's so rare that there are only two of them in existence. I should know, I made it."

"You…made it?" Tooth wasn't expecting that. "But, it looks like a real flower. I can sense life behind it, even after you picked it."

"It doesn't just look like a real flower, Tooth. It _is_ a real flower. It's just…special." Jack said, not wanting to get into how he actually made the flower. "As long as I'm around, the Eternal Flower will never wilt. You don't need to water it either, and neither does it need sunlight. Like I've said: special."

Jack then presented the flower once more to the Guardian of Memories, who took it gingerly in her hand. It was cool to the touch, and the breeze coming from it was comfortably frosty as well.

"So…this isn't a dream?"

"Nope." Grinned Jack, which only served to make Toothiana blush.

She cleared her throat. Curious about what Jack had said, she asked, "You said there were only two of this in existence. Where is the other one?"

Jack scratched the back of his head once again, his face coloring just a bit. "I still have it. I'm planning to give it to Valentina."

Toothiana arched an eyebrow. She knew who Valentina was. Everyone knew who she was. "Valentina?"

"Well, I have to thank her somehow." Jack explained. He didn't want Tooth to get the wrong idea. Spirits knows how troublesome that would be. He didn't want that kind of problem. "She helped me figure out what to give you and helped save the lives of hundreds of flowers in danger of being frozen. She may have just ensured that a particular specie of flower didn't get wiped out from the face of the earth."

"Oh," was all Tooth could say. She was amazed that Jack had gone through all that trouble to give her something. After a while, she looked up at him, smiled, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Jack."

The tinge of pink on Tooth's face was nothing compared to the blush that had crept on Jack.

For a moment, there was silence around the two Guardians, until Jack broke it by saying, "So, when you said that this was 'the most realistic one yet' when you thought this was all a dream…does that mean you've dreamed about me before?"

Jack might have done something sweet that made Tooth's heart melt and flutter. Suffice to say, however, that with that question, the Guardian of Memories had never felt so mortified as she did at that moment in time.

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned, I have posted this before on Fanfiction.net. But having published these stories separately there, I thought it would be easier to keep track of them here if I just post them all under one collection. I will also, most probably, be updating this collection here more frequently (or, at least, earlier) than I would in FFN.
> 
> I'm also accepting prompts and requests. So if you have 'em, share them. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this.  
> Dream on; Fly on!
> 
> ~SMT


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